Barking and District Historical Society

St. Andrew's Church, Hornchurch
Wednesday 18th September 2013
11.30am

Pat Manley

Pat Manley, Vice-Chairman of the BDHS, has arranged a guided tour of St. Andrews Church, Hornchurch on Wednesday 18th September at 11.30 am. Buses 248 and 370 stop nearby or walk (uphill) from Hornchurch town centre. Email John Blake or just turn up on the day. All welcome.

John Blake

The History of St Andrew's Church

St Andrew's is the Parish Church of Hornchurch. It is listed by the Department of the Environment as a Grade 1 listed building - a building of outstanding distinction. A church has stood on this site for over 800 years, each generation in turn having cared for it and added to or subtracted from it, altering the Church to suit needs of the time.

The present church is built of septaria and ragstone with some brick. The North wall contains many bottles, placed both neck and base outwards. These are an interesting and unexpected addition to the masonry.

The tower is thought to have been built by William of Wykeham and the fact that it closely resembles New College, Oxford supports this theory. At the top of the West face of one of the turrets is a figure of a bishop believed to represent William.

Inside, the four bays and cylindrical columns with moulded capitals in the nave, together with the triple sedilia, piscine and hagioscope, date back to the mid 14th century.